Eating Disorder – A Grave Psychiatric Condition

Do you indulge in unhealthy binge eating? Or do you starve your body with severe food restrictions? All these are typical signs of an eating disorder.

Eating Disorder Definition 

An eating disorder can be defined as a grave mental illness, which is characterized by having an unhealthy and abnormal preoccupation with eating and checking one's body weight. It is a behavioral condition that affects the psychological and physical well-being of the person. 

Eating Disorder Symptoms According To Their Types:

• Anorexia Nervosa – The anorexia signs include restrictive eating patterns, irrational fear of gaining weight, and doing things to avoid putting on weight despite being undernourished and thin. 

• Bulimia Nervosa – It is a familiar eating disorder and like anorexia, it is more common among women. People with bulimia symptoms tend to eat lots of food at any given period. They also attempt to vomit or purge out the calories. 

• Binge Eating Disorder – It is a common mental disorder. People with this condition have an abnormal craving to eat a huge amount of food within a short time. Binge eating can begin during teenage or early adulthood. 

• Pica – People who eat certain things that cannot be considered food are said to suffer from pica disorder. Such individuals have a craving to eat soil, chalk, ice, paper, soap, cloth, wool, small stones, detergent, hair, or cornstarch. This disorder is more common with children, expecting mothers, and people with other mental disabilities. 

• Rumination Disorder – It is a new form of eating disorder wherein a person with this condition regurgitates food (previously swallowed) and re-chews the partly digested food or spits it out. This animal-like rumination begins to occur soon after a meal. It is a voluntary condition and therapy sessions can be tried to resolve the issue. 

• Avoidant/restrictive Food Intake Disorder – This issue may develop during early childhood and persist into adolescence. People with ARFID have disturbed eating patterns due to a genuine lack of interest in normal food or having severe distaste for certain foodstuffs. 

Eating Disorder Test 

Tests for determining an eating disorder can be done by certified medical technicians, expert physicians, or primary care doctors. A healthcare provider may suggest a physical exam, lab tests, and psychological evaluation in addition to using assessment tools such as EDE-Q test, eating disorder inventory test, etc. 

Eating Disorder Treatment 

Mental health specialists in Dubai can suggest CBT therapy, nutritional therapy, outpatient therapy, partial hospitalization, teaching patients self-care, and coping techniques. 

Want access to the eating disorder hotline in the Middle East! Seek an eating disorder therapist near your location, log on to the biggest medical search engine, in the UAE, DoctorUna. We can schedule your appointment at the earliest for 100% safe in-person care. Find highly-reviewed psychiatrists in Dubai, get treated at specialty clinics and treatment services via DoctorUna!